


Waltz of the Stars

by Sunwarmed_Ash_tree_and_the_dreaming_Stag



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Incredible Hulk - All Media Types
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-07
Updated: 2014-09-07
Packaged: 2018-02-16 13:22:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2271279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunwarmed_Ash_tree_and_the_dreaming_Stag/pseuds/Sunwarmed_Ash_tree_and_the_dreaming_Stag
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce finds Tony working in his lab after an incident with Loki. The doctor helps to heal his broken reactor, and his heart. They confess their feelings to one another, and enjoy the serenity of the stars together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Waltz of the Stars

Bruce circled past the lab, one late Tuesday night, lost in thought about dreamy potential.  He found himself often drawn to his fellow genius, like a large golden sun orbiting with a miniature cobalt blue one. An fumbling dance at best, one always orbiting  the other more frequently, sometimes swinging out to cool, then nearly crushing the other with waves of unrelenting gravity and heat. A dangerous dance, but beautiful to observe.

Bruce held his mug to his lips, watching his blue star work quietly on his heart, fiddling with the mechanisms and seemingly frustrated with the alignment.

_A stray comet then, pulling the cobalt light out of alignment._

Bruce tapped the glass, asking permission to help shoo the annoyance away.

 

"Hey Bruce," the fellow scientist said tiredly. It had already been a long enough day, and then to have his reactor quit out on him was the icing on the cake.  "Got any ideas-ah!?" He hissed as he unhooked the wires from the lower metal plate.  His heart rate spiked instantly and he _felt_  the shards of shrapnel sink farther into his heart.

Bruce dropped his mug, racing to catch Tony before he hit the ground. "Easy... There we go." He said softly and lay his friend on the ground. "Keep your eyes on me... That's it. I'm going to get the umbilical. Count to 10 for me please." He said calmly and ran to the special connection in the walk.  Bruce  punched in the 4 digit code, and uncoiled the massive tubing, running back to tony with it. "Ok... Here we go. Deep breath.." He asked and connected the lead wires before plunging it into his chest. There was a faint humm, and the cable jumped to life, transferring energy from the arc reactor in the basement to his heart.

"Tony? Tony are you aright?" Bruce asked, peeling back Tony's eyelid to watch his pupils dilate.

Tony groaned as his body was filled with electricity. He hated using the umbilical but knew it was necessary until he could make a new reactor, one that was hopefully spear proof. He should have known Loki hadn't wanted to just "talk" with him.  He used Bruce's hand to pull himself off the floor and pat his friend on the back.  "Much better, thanks buddy."

Bruce whistled and looked at the mangled remains of the device on the table. "Tony, didn't you just install a new vibranium faceplate? " he asked and gently picked at a half melted piece. "Looks like you are short on a few conducting chips. Why don't I play with the tin heart and you rest a little?  "

"Yeah about that....may have...gotten drunk instead."  He looked at the ground sheepishly. Anytime he picked drinking over work something like this happened.  "You don't have to do that Bruce. I fucked up not you."

"Tony, this is your _life._  the hulk can heal my wounds, but your suit is breakable. Let me help you." He asked, letting his hand lay on top of Tony's.  He smiled sweetly and let go, not wanting the contact to appear more than he meant it to. He gestured to the cot against the closest wall. "Doctors orders then. Just a few hours. Do you trust me to fix it? "

Tony's heart fluttered a bit when Bruce touched his hand. He was glad the doctor removed it when he did otherwise they would have had an issue on their hands. The engineer had developed feelings for the older man after the battle of New York but he was almost sure the doctor didn't feel the same way.  "Yes sir," he said, standing up and carrying the heavy car battery to the bed. "Wake me when it's finished? Thanks again Bruce, for taking care of me. I forget to sometimes."

"Not a problem Anthony." He chuckled. He watched Tony pull over the old blanket, and caught an image of a flying pirate ship, nearly faded with use, and smiled. " Fan of Peter pan hmm? Does that make me Wendy?" He smiled and began to program the 3d forge with Jarvis. "Time to stitch Peter's shadow back on." He whispered and began to work.

  
  


_Tony was trapped under yet another nightmare._ This _is why he drank himself to sleep. When he drank, the nightmares stopped. But with Bruce following him around like a mother hen he hadn't had the opportunity._

 _Loki had him strapped to a table in a dark cave. The only light in the room illuminating from his chest and the long, sharp sceptre Loki always carried. The cold breeze under his back signalled he was naked, or at least shirtless. The icy coating of cave floor had made the majority of his lower body numb.  The tip of a sharp, cool blade is what he felt next, just above his belly button. Loki was looming over him evilly, pressing the tip of the spear harder against his skin until he felt the layers separate and a trickle of warm blood roll down across his pelvis._   
  
_"Loki stopp..." he groaned in his sleep, thrashing under the sheets as his dream grew darker._

_"Now Stark, you must tell me how this little contraption kept me from possessing your body the first time. But more importantly, why do you have it embedded in your chest? Surely that's not standard for mortals?"_

_Tony just bit his tongue and panted in the dark, trying to will the gash in his stomach to stop burning._

_"Oh dear, cat got your tongue? That's a shame, I suppose I'll just have to inspect it myself."_

_The all familiar click of the hinges unlocking rang loud and familiar in the hollow cave, and just as quickly as Loki placed his hand on Tony’s chest, he retracted it, holding the little blue life force in his hand._

_"Most peculiar Stark, I believe this is an electromagnet is it not? But why? Why would you need such a thing?"_

_Tony didn't know why, but he was answering. "I-It keeps shrapnel from entering my heart. It keeps me alive."_

_Loki's sick grin got wider, "Ah! So it is important then?" With a sickening crunch, Loki destroyed the magnet in his fist, letting metal scraps tumble to the floor._

 

"LOKI STOP!" Tony screamed, shooting straight out of bed and knocking the large battery and himself to the floor.

 

  
Bruce ran over to Tony, holding his friends chest to balance him. "He's not here, you're safe." He crooned to the scientist, gently holding his stubbled chin. He lingered again, a dangerously close orbit, he needed to pull away before their link became fused. Black holes tended to form that way.  "Thor is right up stairs, and I'm here beside you. One punch and you'll get a big green guy who can kick a gods ass." Bruce helped Tony to his feet. "Come here and watch Jarvis do the finishing touches. He says fabrication will be finished in about twenty minutes." Bruce helped Tony onto a chair, and pulled his close, as if the pair were watching a fire on a couch together. "You can use my arm as a pillow." He offered quietly, secretly pining  at the thought of any longing contact.

Tony nodded, still a bit shaken from the nightmare. Tony cuddled close to Bruce, the older mans body heat soothing him. "No, I need to watch it finish. Once it's back in we can sleep. Just- dont leave, okay? Please?"

Bruce swung his arm around his friends back, supporting him, and  took Tony's weight. "You are the most important- " Brice chuckled and fixed his glasses. "This is more important right now."  He blushed fiercely when Tony snuggled into him and coughed slightly. "You had a pretty rough time before we found you hm?" He asked politely, giving Tony the option to ignore him.

Bruce sighed and let his hand wander down Tony's arm, thumb gently caressing his elbow. "it's ok, you don't have to tell me." He offered, and when heartwarming amber eyes locked onto his own, Bruce swallowed. "Tony... I.. Ah.." He stammered, unable to speak, as he took a chance, gently lowering his chin to kiss Tony sweetly. Bruce let their lips connect in a chastise kiss, slowly warming his companion with tender movements.

Tony whimpered, letting Bruce take control of the kiss but responding so the older man would know it was wanted. 

Tony shifted as close as he could to Bruce, wanting to wrap his arms around him as they kissed. Intimacy wasn't something he was used to but he wanted to give it his best shot. He liked Bruce, hell maybe even /loved/ him. And he needed the scientist to know.

Bruce felt Tony's body twitch around him, and he broke the kiss to hold his friends head to the crook of his neck. "I love you, I hope you know that Tony." He whispered in his friends ear and gently leaned over to kiss his neck, feeling the pulse quicken beneath his lips. The arch reactor umbilical pressed against his chest, and he winced. "Hurts more for you I bet, it's ok, you can press forward if you need." He offered, kissing at the hem of Tony's shirt.

"It's alright," Tony winced, adjusting so the cord wouldn't bend so much. "It's worth it if you keep holding me. I love you too Bruce. A Lot. Thank you, for always being there for me. I'll tell you what happened with Loki later. I just- need some more time."

Bruce kissed the top of his head. "Of course I'm here for you Tony. I at the very least owe you for my happiness. " Bruce smiled. "I've never felt as /light/ as I do when I'm in the same room with you." He nuzzled tony close and watched the printer finish it's last few moves. "Are you alright with this?" He asked, holding his arm around tony for emphasis

"No," and Tony giggled when Bruce looked confused. He pulled himself into Bruce's lap and snuggled his face in his neck. "This is much better."

Bruce chuckled and held his friend tightly. "I know you don't see it, but right here, with that smile on your lips, you are the most beautiful star, shining so bright.”  He beamed and touched their foreheads together.

"Brucee," he giggled, pushing at his chest, "I think you have me confused with someone else. That or you need new glasses."

"My eyes work fine stark." He chided and held him tight. "Even if I was blind,I could see how sweet and brave you are. How bright your inelegance and curiosity are." Bruce blushed heavily. "I may have had a crush on you since our days at MIT."

"Really?" Tony asked shocked, "Damn Brucie I wish you would have told me. Would have saved me a lot of trouble in the love department." The machine that was generating the new reactor beeped in completion, causing the two men on the bed to shift their gaze. Tony unlatched from Bruce, carrying the battery in one hand as he shuffled to the glass box containing his life. "Bruce? Could you help me?"

Bruce tilted his head sadly. "Back then I had no idea the spunky under-age kid who corrected his professors would let me in, as much as you do now." Bruce helped Tony to the reclining chair, and hovered the arc reactor over his chest. It sang with energy, the tiny dwarf star thrummed it's approval of being held, and he let a soft smile creep up his face.  "It never ceases to amaze me how you made this..wonder from scraps and your own hands."

"I Don't know either, but I'm glad I did. If I hadn't, I wouldn't be around to do this." Tony let his fingers drag through Bruce's hair as he pulled the doctor close, pressing their lips together softly. They moulded together perfectly, like two puzzle pieces. They were meant for each other and Tony knew it. He just wished he had figured it out sooner.  "I trust you with everything Bruce. I wouldn't let anyone else hold my heart in their hands like you are now. No one else but you deserves it."

Bruce fixed the reactor in place, and /melted/ against his friends sweet embrace. He ran his thumb over Tony's arm, and gently kissed a mark. "You are the only one who treats us like humans." He sighed and lay next to Tony on the bed, soaking up the cool skin.

"Because you are human. It's your soul that decides that Brucie, and you have the purest soul I've ever seen." He held the scientist against him, pulling away only when he heard small whimpering.  "Bruce?"

Bruce pressed his forehead to the genius’s  shoulder, and sighed. "I'm scared." He admitted. "All the time. That I'll lose you and never go back to being Bruce again." He confessed and cursed his watering eyes.

"You won't lose me okay? As long as I have something to fight for, there's no reason to give up. Now what's this about you never being Bruce again?" Tony crooned and rubbed his friend’s arm.

"He'll take over. I'll let him." He sighed and pointed to his own brain. "I would be in too much pain if I lost you." He sighed and intertwined his fingers with Tony's. Bruce lay quiet for a moment and simply breathed in the gentle coffee scent of Tony's breath. "Could you use company tonight?" He asked hopefully.

"Brucie," Tony sighed sadly, cupping the doctors face and kissing him softly. "I won't let that happen. And I would love the company. Would you like to go to my room? It's much more comfortable than the lab cot."

Bruce nodded and helped Tony to his feet. The early dawn light filled the lab, and it gave the illusion of walking on a nova cloud. He carefully placed tony on the bed, and lay next to him, stroking his arm. "Thank you for letting me stay." He spoke softly, and let his arm rest over Tony's shoulder.

"Hey, thanks for staying." He said with a smile, turning to hug Bruce tight against his body. 

"You are so damn warm Bruce, like a fucking furnace."

Bruce chucked and held Tony close. "It's the other guy." He admired and kissed Tony's head. "Now sleep, you have a big day of meetings tomorrow." He smiled and took possession of Tony's body in a fierce hug.

Tony cuddled into the mans chest, playing with the large amount of chest hair, "Nah, I think it's you." He smiled. “I love you Bruce, I really do.”  He said tenderly kissing over the older man’s heart and falling asleep to its steady rhythm

Bruce chucked and held tony as he fell asleep. He watched Tony's features soften with sleep, and watched the sun paint his features in a rosey glow. "I love you too, Tony." He whispered and drifted off to sleep, the sweet smile of tony lulling him to dreamland

 

 


End file.
